Heroes of the Scots-Irish in America

Heroism was a distinct characteristic of the Scots-Irish immigrants who settled on the American frontier during the 18th century and the raw courage shown by these dogged, determined people in very difficult circumstances helped place the United States on the high plain where it is today.

Forging a civilization out of a wilderness was a real challenge for the tens of thousands of immigrants from Ulster and how well they succeeded in molding a decent, law-abiding society from the eastern seabord states through the Appalachian region and into Texas and the Pacific regions.

The Scots-Irish heroes and heroines (the wonderful womenfold who made the family, the home, and Christianity the cornerstone of frontier life), have beomce enshrined in American history; not just the Presidents, the statesmen, soldiers, and churchmen, but the many plain ordinary citizens whose quiet, unselfish deeds were worthy of note and a shining example to others.

In this, the sixth volume of the highly popular chronicles of the Scots-Irish diaspora, Northern Ireland journalist Billy Kennedy records the lives and careers of those who heroically set the standard and, when danger and personal risk confronted them, did not stand back from the challenge.

As the epitaph at the historical Greenville Presbyterian Church in the South Carolina Piedmont states: "From their home land they brought their faith to enrich the South, their brave hearts and strong arms to subdue the wilderness."

The exceptional qualities and the outstanding achievements of the Scots-Irish provide real meaning to the term, "Heroes." They leave us a legacy from their proud and illustrious history that we can seek to emulate.